March 2021

_{Charmaine accepted a full-time position as Administrative Assistant – Office Operations with Oshki}

Charmaine was looking for work in January 2020. She was feeling like she would never find a job.  She had anxiety and felt awkward talking to employers on her own. Job interviews were especially difficult. She also had very little work experience and she was feeling defeated.  She heard about the Youth Job Connection (YJC) program from a friend whose sister had been successful in the program.  When another friend mentioned the same program, Charmaine called YES. YES connected her to a Youth Worker right away and after an assessment, Charmaine was accepted into the program.

YJC starts with paid pre-employment training that helps participants prepare for their placements. YES has been running the workshops virtually using Google Classroom, and during the Stay at Home order, all of the workshops moved online.  Luckily Charmaine was able to complete the 60 hours of pre-employment training in about three weeks before the pandemic ramped up.  When it came time for her placement Charmaine had expressed interest in office work, and her Youth Worker recognized some strong skills in the area of administration.  She had a professional demeanor on the phone.  She was organized and had experience using office software programs. 

Oshki-Pimache-O-Win: The Wenjack Institute, has also been working virtually throughout the pandemic, steadily delivering its courses and programs online. They needed a Student Success Staff Support person, and Charmaine was a great fit for the position.  She started her placement and in late December, her placement contract was extended.  She had been working in the office and from home offering support to the Director of Student Success.  She really enjoyed the work and had made some great connections with the staff.  Then, out of the blue, Charmaine received a phone call. Oshki’s current Administrative Assistant had accepted another position within the organization and they offered her a permanent position on their staff.  She is thrilled to be the organization’s new Administrative Assistant – Office Operations.  Congratulations on your success Charmaine!

If you would like to learn more about the Youth Job Connection program, connect with YES by phone: 807-623-0768, text, 807-633-7990 or e-mail:  resource@yesjobsnow.com. 

YES is hosting a Virtual Summer Job Fair during the April Break:

You can register workshops by contacting Sharon Kovacic: skovacic@yesjobsnow.com

Click and join by visiting the workshop calendar on our YES Events page.